Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson welcomes regulator the Construction Industry Development Board's (cidb's) blacklisting of 40 contractors since June 2024 as a dramatic turnaround because only one contractor was blacklisted between 2002 and May 2024.

The contractors have been blacklisted from doing business with the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and its entities.

The blacklisting sends a clear signal that the department is serious about acting against nonperformance and means these contractors are now prohibited from bidding for tenders or being awarded work by the department, he says.

This aligns with the Minister's vision to ensure the department is a professional and highly-functional delivery unit, capable of providing high-quality economic infrastructure that will grow the economy and create jobs.

“Those who underperform or engage in corruption will be held accountable and removed from the system. The cidb’s action to blacklist these contractors sent a clear message that the days of impunity are over,” Macpherson says.

This is in stark contrast to the single company that was blacklisted previously since 2002. This situation was unacceptable in an environment where construction projects remained incomplete or poorly built across the country, and undermined trust in the State’s ability to act decisively.

“This is why we are restoring accountability, cleaning up the industry and ensuring public money delivers quality infrastructure that communities can rely on,” he says.

Further, the DPWI is also refining its own processes to ensure the blacklisting of nonperforming companies happens more swiftly, as well as to recover money from contractors in order to safeguard public funds.

“Over the past year, we have worked to strengthen the department by filling key vacancies, introducing new accountability mechanisms, and tightening our procurement processes.

“The 40 blacklistings are proof that our reforms are working, but we are not done yet. We are expediting our work to clean up the department and its entities to ensure that we can play a key role in building a better country for all South Africans,” says Macpherson.